The Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival, which has drawn growing crowds of both Korean and foreign visitors in recent years, opened Wednesday and is heading into its first peak weekend with Thursday, Friday and Saturday ahead.
Kimjang culture — the traditional Korean practice of making and sharing kimchi — is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Pyeongchang festival has helped bring it to a global audience.
Organizers expanded kimjang-making capacity this year in response to public demand and separated the dining area from the hands-on experience zone to improve comfort. Napa cabbage pre-salted with deep-sea water sold out on opening day, underscoring the festival's popularity.
As the number of foreign participants has grown each year, organizers set up a dedicated kimjang experience area for beginners, particularly international visitors. Promotional activities for local agricultural products were also expanded, including a new special showcase for Pyeongchang apples.
The 9th Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival runs through Nov. 16 at Jinbu-myeon Community Sports Park.
The festival centers on hands-on kimjang experiences using highland napa cabbage and locally grown produce from Pyeongchang, alongside food stalls and agricultural product sales.
This year, organizers increased kimjang experience capacity by about 20 percent compared to last year and added 20 workstations to improve visitor convenience.
The kimjang work area and dining space have been separated to allow visitors to enjoy both activities in a more comfortable setting.
New programs include kimjang experiences for foreign visitors and foreign YouTubers, as well as an event for single-person youth households from urban areas. Through these initiatives, organizers aim to promote Korea's kimjang culture at home and abroad and spread a sense of community built around making and sharing kimchi across generations and nationalities.
The kimjang experience, which showcases the quality of Pyeongchang's highland napa cabbage, is the heart of the festival. Grown at an average elevation of 700 meters above sea level, the cabbage develops firm, nutty flesh thanks to the region's wide daily temperature swings. Napa cabbage, radish, green onion, chili pepper and mustard greens all come from Pyeongchang, and the remaining seasoning ingredients are sourced domestically.
The premium kimjang experience using cabbage salted with deep-sea water saw its allotment increased by about 40 percent from last year, yet all reservations sold out on the first day bookings opened.
About 100 farms are taking part in this year's festival, including growers of salted cabbage, chili pepper, green onion and mustard greens, as well as an apple research association, all showcasing the quality of locally grown produce.
Visitors can sample and purchase Pyeongchang apples, and a special Daegwallyeong Hanwoo beef sales booth and other local specialty products offer a direct taste of what the region has to offer. The festival's food court also serves boiled pork, acorn jelly and dumpling soup made with Daegwallyeong Hanwoo beef broth.
Jang Dong-sik, chairman of the Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival organizing committee, said the event is "a festival that promotes the excellence of local agricultural products and shares warmth with neighbors through kimjang." With expanded capacity, facilities and a range of new programs this year, Jang said he hopes many visitors will come to enjoy both Pyeongchang's outstanding produce and its traditional kimjang culture.
Jang added that he recommends visitors spend the morning exploring Pyeongchang's scenic attractions such as Odaesan and Daegwallyeong to soak in the late-autumn atmosphere, then head to the festival in the afternoon for a kimjang experience with family. "I hope visitors will create special memories in Pyeongchang — enjoying the pleasures of an autumn trip and getting their winter kimchi preparations done all in one go," Jang said.
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